About Thea Dane:
Thea Dane likes to write paranormal romances, especially if they involve dangerous dragon shifters, alluring aliens, wild wolves and brave bear shifters. She also likes using sound repetition, apparently, but not half as much as she enjoys having a glass of red wine and a chocolate truffle at the end of the day. When Thea isn’t writing, she can be found spending time with her husband, mischievous dogs, and her circle of eclectic friends.
What inspires you to write?
I am inspired by the paranormal and the fantastic. I love exploring diverse places and getting into the minds of unique characters. Writing gives me a chance to do those things. I can be creative and use my imagination to connect with others.
Tell us about your writing process.
I do a combination of outlining and going with the flow. When I first imagine a story, my thoughts are all over the place in terms of where the story can go. I list these scenarios, pick one that’s workable, and start fashioning a simple outline. I try to keep the outlines to a couple pages. This allows me to go back and make changes easily if something isn’t working. Most of the time I keep the outline in a word processing document or simple spiral notebook next to my computer. No frills there.
For characters, I usually list several stats about their appearance, age, and personality. Sometimes I base their looks off of celebrities. I like to create Pinterest pages where I keep pictures of celebrities for easy reference.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I talk to and about my characters even when I’m not writing. My husband has made the mistake several times of assuming I was talking on the phone! So far, I’ve succeeded in containing this habit strictly to my house and car. It’d be pretty embarrassing to be caught in public talking to myself. Maybe I’ll just wear a Bluetooth device when I go out and no one will know the difference.
What advice would you give other writers?
Writing is both a pleasure and a business. If you want to succeed in the latter, you can’t ignore that aspect. Educate yourself about the genres, the market, and promoting. It’s not as complicated as you think. Most importantly, surround yourself with supportive people, whether in person or an online writing forum. You need to be connected to people who understand the business and want you to succeed.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I used to be traditionally published. However, I decided to self-publish my paranormal romances because the turnaround process is much faster. As a romance reader, I know firsthand that we tend to be voracious! I want to get my stories in people’s hands as soon as they’re ready to be published.
For new authors, the decision to self-publish or traditionally publish depends on what you’re writing. Certain genres do very well with self-publishing, such as romance and some science fiction. Other types of writing such as non-fiction can do very well with a publisher-backed platform.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think we’re living in the golden age of book publishing where there are diverse books being released and different modes of publication. I believe the future will be good for authors who are able to meet the demands of the market and produce content at a fast pace.
What genres do you write?: Paranormal romance, sci-fi/fantasy romance
What formats are your books in?: eBook
Your Social Media Links
Twitter
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit, to allow you, the reader, to hear the author in their own voice.
